I saw the ACCEPT Stalingrad Tour in Portland, Oregon at the Roseland
Theater. Incredible energy and vocals were there! No holding back, was loud and
aggressive ALL THE WAY THRU. ACCEPT gave us a huge Wilkommen! All of the
members make u feel welcome and special and that is without even knowing them
personally. That is what I must say I was so impressed with. Honestly it felt
like being with old friends or family..a great time that never will b
forgotten. And special thanks to Peter who I was standing in front of...TY for
playing to the camera and being so cool! I got some nice pics and
video...Memorable! Thanks from my Boyfriend Mike ( meine deutscher mann) who took
me to the show also. We thank you for a
great night.

Back in ’84, I saw ACCEPT open for KISS at the Montreal Forum and I
thought it was good. In 2011, I saw the band at Club Soda in Montreal and
thought they were great, but it was nothing like last night’s show (Sept 10th
2012) at Le Metropolis (in Montreal). The band was simply fantastic. One of the
better shows I’ve seen this year. ‘New’ vocalist Mark Tornillo has added a
spark to the band and has re-energized the old catalogue. Songs like ‘Restless
And Wild’, ‘Losers And Winners’ and ‘Metal Heart’ sound fresh and powerful with
Mark’s growl and how is it when speaking of guitar gods - does Wolf Hoffman get
overlooked? He was blazing last night. The band also featured songs from their
latest two albums (2010’s ‘Blood Of The Nations’ and 2012’s ‘Stalingrad’).
‘Teutonic Terror’ is by far their greatest song ever and to hear it live is
simply killer. The band also treated fans to newer tracks ‘Hung, Drawn and
Quartered’, ‘Pandemic’, ‘Bucket Full Of Hate’ and ‘Stalingrad’. It’s not often
a band can change their lead singer and actually become a better band, but
ACCEPT have done it and prove it without doubt at each live show. I’ll be
coming back every time they’re in town. Oh, yeah - they also played their
greatest hit ‘Balls To The Walls’ and yes, it had MORE BALLS with Tornillo
singing! Thanks ACCEPT for another great show!

I was foaming at the mouth when this gig was announced and when I was
fortunate enough to be invited along to interview the band and listen to the
playback of their first studio release in fourteen years, I was one happy
little headbanger.German rockers Accept are in town to play a one off gig to
promote the forthcoming 'Blood Of The Nations' album which will be out on
Nuclear Blast at the end of August. The
snarling pitball Udo Dirkschneider has decided not to take part in this reunion
but Accept have found a great replacement in former TT Quick American singer
Mark Tornillo, who has that classic razor blade throat voice which complement
the Judas Priest on Speed riffs of Accept.Listening to the new album before the
gig, I'm glad to report that Accept have made their best and most accessible
album since 84's 'Balls To The Wall' and certainly most heaviest since 82's
'Restless And Wild'. All killer and no filler, this album will frazzle your
brain.So what about Accept as a live act in 2010? (Their first in the UK since
1986.) Accept come on stage as conquering heroes storming into the anthem
'Metal Heart' and despite supporting AC/DC in Hannover the night before showed
no signs of metal fatigue.'Restless And Wild' got me air V guitar-ing for the
first of many times tonight along with many grown men. 'Son Of A Bitch', surprisingly early in the
set, was a fist thumping crowd pleaser.
Tracks such as 'Losers And Winners' and 'Run If You Can' were surprising
additions to the set which brought back many teenage memories for me.Only two
new tracks were performed tonight, in what I can only imagine is to stop the
mobile phone bootleggers uploading the new material onto Youtube before the
album is released.The already available tracks 'The Abyss' has a melodic epic
heavy punch and 'Teutonic Terror' for which the band have made a computer
crashing video clearly states where Accept are today which it's chorus line of
''Give 'em the axe!'' The classic twin attack of the V guitars is all there to
see from Wolf Hoffmann and Herman Frank with original bassist Peter Baltes
still looking youthful with his curly locks. Hoffmann later doing a guitar solo
which featured snippets of 'Bolero' and 'Sabre Dance' The gig was turning into
a metal marathon lasting over two hours with many head crunchers thrown in such
as 'Bulletproof' from 93's underrated 'Objection Overruled' and the set ender
'Burning', the band were simply on fire and weren't about to be extinguished
just yet. The gig was so orgasmic that it was easy to forget that the band
hadn't yet played their best songs. Another surprise of the night was the
inclusion of 'I'm A Rebel' a song originally turned down by AC/DC . 'Fast As A
Shark' the pre thrash song included that famous German intro of 'Hi-de-hi-ho-da-da'
was perfect beer swilling man hugging time. Sabbat's Andy Sneap, a long time
Accept fan who also produced the new album, joined the band in a triple assault
for 'Balls To The Wall' certainly plugged a bomb in everyone's arse where we
all responded by showing the sign of victory. Oh! What a night! Get ready for
the new album and don't miss them next time they do the tour proper. Metal at it's finest. Set list : Metal Heart
/ Midnight Mover / Living For Tonite / Restless And Wild / Son Of A Bitch /
Losers And Winners / London Leatherboys / The Abyss / Run If You Can / Teutonic
Terror / Breaker / Bulletproof / Neon Nights / Up To The Limit / Demon's Night
/ Turn Me On / Monsterman / Burning ....encores .. Princess Of The Dawn / I'm A
Rebel / Fast As A Shark / Balls To The Wall.

When i
first heard about Accept show in Ukraine, i was pretty astonished. My favourite
rock band first time in its history would come to Kiev. But there was 5 months
left till November, i bought a ticket and started to wait. Price was 25$.
Stalingrad tour 2012 was in its height, setlist was pretty good.

This fantastic day began with the Meets and Greets
with the band in lobby bar of the Kiev hotel. Those fantastic moments are
difficult to express by words. Peter and Wolf were so kind to sign all CDs and
to take a lot of photos. Then i came to the venue, Stereo plaza club, there was
a lot people singing songs, speaking to each other. Audience was pretty mixed,
from 10-years old children to solid men over 50 with their wifes. Some hours
waiting and i entered a hall, Wolf was just finishing soundcheck. Sound was
great. I decided to stand in first row near barriers. ​After a short break, the
lights dimmed, intro and taped part Hung, Drawn and Quartered played. A great
intro for the band during Stalingrad tour. Then, cutting over the top was that
familiar snapping snare from Stefan. The lights came up revealing Wolf, Peter
and Herman bent over their guitars then Mark Tornillo walked on stage
completeing the band, and the audience clapped and cheered, welcoming Accept in
their very first show in Ukraine. The band ploughed through the first three
numbers before taking a breath. Setlist was standart and pretty good. 4 songs
from Stalingrad album, 4 songs from Blood of the Nations, other - only good old
stuff from classic albums of 80's. While playing Stalingrad Mark came out with
Ukrainian flag and then Herman broke string. What a powerful show! For me the
highlights were Hung Drawn and Quartered, Stalingrad, Teutonic Terror,
Monsterman, Princess of the Dawn. These 5 songs were worth the price of admission
alone. Their speed and virtuosity simply blew me away. Wolf's guitar solo
including Hall of the Mountain King was tremendous. During the bass solo in
Princess, even barriers didn't stand for crowd's pressure and were totally
broken. Peter saw this moment and asked people to move back and with smiling
face continued to play for the extraordinary joy of crowd. Encores with Metal
Heart, Teutonic Terror and Balls to the Wall were accompinied with five
thousand voices singing and total madness. Wolf's guitar solo including Hall of
the Mountain King was tremendous. By the way, it was total sold out and this
fact added more pride for Kiev show. Everybody after the show was smiling and
had a straining voice due to musical excitement. I liked new songs live, Mark is
pretty good singer and frontman, Stefan, Herman, Peter, Wolf were fantastic. To
sum it up, it was the best show i' ve ever seen and i thank Accept for it.
Using the mobile application Accept by Mobile backstage i learned that guys
also liked Kiev show and "definitely want to come back". That's
fantastic and we are looking forward for a new show.

The
first time I saw Accept was in 83. I saw them 3 times in 7 days. I still
remember sitting outside the concert hall in Heidelberg and talking to Herman
and Peter. There was a hot chick dressed in all black. We thought she must be a
groupie but in reality, she was Accepts manager.

At the last show in 83, we
ended up between stage and barrier, I felt like I was a part of the
crew. Over the next few years I saw Accept when I could here and
there, and moved to the United States in 94. 96 a Fare Well Tour. Accept
plays in my home town Berlin and I had to be there, I booked a ticket and flew
to Berlin Germany to see Accept, friends and family. Last show ever, no Accept
anymore?

In 2005, a rumor goes around
that Accept is getting back together for a reunion tour. It would be festival
tour and a few smaller shows in Japan. Festivals, no thanks, too many
people. I was more interested in some of the smaller shows in Japan.

I planned my Accept trip to
Japan. How do I get a ticket for a show in Japan? I found a ticket place here
in Phoenix, booked my flight and hotel and off I went to the Diamond Hall in
Nagoya, Japan. August, 2nd 2005, Accept is on stage, I can't believe it,
I'm in Japan to see Accept one more time. I'm the tallest and whitest guy
there. During the show, Herman looks at me, looks again and points at me.
I salute back. Did he remember me after all these years?

The show was great, it is
like old times and one more time I am rocking with Accept, headbanging to Fast,
Son, Balls, Breaker, London Leather ..... all the songs I love. What a show, I
enjoyed every second of it. I felt like I was 19 again. The show is over,
the band bows to the fans and Herman points at me to wait at a door. Cool, I
have time.

A few minutes later, Herman
comes out the door. "I remember you, what the hell are you doing
here?" We talk a few minutes and he takes me back stage.Here they
are. Wolf, Peter ... and the hot girl from 83. We started talking and realize
that Gaby, the girl from 83, is also from my home town Berlin. Cool. She gives
me her All Access Pass for memories, they offer me food and drinks and Stefan
gives me a drum stick. I had a great time in Japan with Accept, not because I
ended up backstage, no, I always have fun with Accept.

I don't know if that is a
record, well for me it is. A German guy, who lives in Arizona, travels to Japan
to see Accept, a German band. Back in Arizona, a few weeks later I send an
email to Accept and Gaby to thank her for taking care of me in Japan and for
the pass. Over the next few month emails got sent back and fourth and we became
good friends. I visited Gaby at her place, she met my wife Veronica and my son
Jamon. I became part of her family and we kind of "adopted" each
other. One day, I received an email from Gaby which says, "Check
this out". A demo with two Accept songs. A few weeks later another mail,
"We are back". What? Accept is back with a new singer. It's
about time.

May 2010, New York, first
show with Mark. Gaby invites us and off we go again. Another Accept show
and for the first time, we have passes. Off we go. At the door, Gaby is there
and greets us, I see Wolf, Peter and Herman is shocked to see me
again. The show was fantastic. Mark's voice is great, perfect for Accept.
ACCEPT is back, new CD coming out soon. YEAH.

April 2011, it's birthday
month and Accept is on tour here in the US. This time Accept plays here in
Phoenix at a festival but only for 45 minutes or so but it does not matter, I'm
there. I see Gaby and the guys at the hotel.

A few days after the Phoenix
show, I fly to Portland, Oregon. I take my son on his 8th birthday to an Accept
show. On the way over there we practice Balls and Heidiheidoheida as loud as we
can. Gaby is at the door and she takes us straight to the sound guy and board.
Oh, he is German too but more important, and my son is safe. I hold him in my
arms most of the time and we enjoyed his first Accept show together.

In 2012 a new CD and another
tour. In April 2012 they play in my home town Berlin Germany, that means, I
have to travel to Germany. I don't know how long the show was but it was
long, at least 1 1/2 hours. I'm exhausted, my neck hurts. I have a pass and the
sound guy takes me back stage. Another night with Accept. September 2012, the
boys are in Anaheim. For me, it feels more and more like a family reunion. Here
is the band, the merch guy, the sound guy, the only person which is missing is
Gaby. Another great show!

Since 83 I have seen Accept
numerous times, still have most shirts even though they don't fit anymore, my
favorite shirt is the one from Japan and a signed from the 83 Tour.

Review
of ACCEPT concert from Bucharest by Ana-Maria Gavrila (metalhead.ro) - ACCEPT
hit the stage for a royal Teutonic Metal oriented somewhat around
"Stalingrad". True, new songs can be as well received as those well
known - are still in a promotional tour. Influenced by events in the history of
the Soviet Union, war, hell social realities and rebel attitude that time, the
concept is not necessarily one unusual (although I do not remember any other
band so explicitly addressing this topic) and accept managed to create an album
whose compositions are fantastic consistency - nothing seems exaggerated,
resulted in extremely lyrics are inspired interpretation of Mark Tornillo -
exemplary.

That happened on stage:
Germans have maintained an atmosphere full of energy throughout the concert,
since chaotic with two new songs "Hung, Drawn and quartered" and
"Hellfire" guitarist Wolf Hoffmann while and has demonstrated skill,
making all sorts of theatrical motion without even a moment to look at the
neck, and Mark Tornillo interpret old songs with confidence in his own talent.
I do not think I felt any moment need to make comparison between his style and
that of vocalic Udo Dirkschneider - If "Losers and Winners" simply
electrified the audience, "Princess of the Dawn" sounded undeniably
brilliant.

And if I said above that they
maintained a crazy atmosphere is because, during the concert, I had the feeling
that most of the fun takes place - well - on stage, as the Germans would have been
delighted to was on stage in Bucharest, playing in front of several hundred
people. Few bands so easily transmit this feeling and this is felt in the
reaction of those gathered in front of the stage.

When energy spreads in both
directions have resulted in a successful evening: a game between the old and
new of the Teutonic Metal from ACCEPT audience attitudes he left out
"tough" by metalheads upset, even if you may need a circle pit . I'm
glad the second night of Chaos Venue, a metal weekend proved to be one awesome:
I accept put their heart and soul into the show and it was felt the most.

Sunday
evening downtown the Bucharest, Romanian capital. A very good time for
people to enjoy their free time walking, filling bars or...for real rockers to
take part to a real heavy metal event together with the real German legend
ACCEPT. After a too long hiatus they succeeded to get in Bucharest as
headliners at 2010 Sonisphere festival and now on their own on the Chaos club.

After
a greet and meet with the nice, peaceful guys from ACCEPT at 22.00 o’clock they
turned into “bad” guys (in the good sense of term) on stage. In the front of it
you can’t throw a needle because of the packed crowd, in the back people
eagerly to see how could this band could perform. After a beginning full of
energy but with artistic expressions given by Hung Drawn and Quarted, they kept
on tearing up the stage, as fuelled by audience energy and the fire
inside them. Not letting any representative album aside, they taught a
the public a complete two hours set of a heavy metal lesson. Promoting
the last album with the “Stalingrad” hit, the solid “Hellfire”, the
lyrical “Shadow soldiers”, terrorizing us with the ferocious riffs of
“Bucketfull of hate”, “Teutonic terror”, “No shelter” from the appraised Blood
of the Nations, classicals “Restless and wild”, “Breaker”, “Neon nights”,
taking headbanging to the limit with “Aiming High”, “Losers and winners” and
“Monsterman”, oferring an intelligent conception sample like “Bulletproof”,
give us a little break with “Up to the limit” and finally pleasing anyone
no matter the taste with “ Princess of the dawn”, “Metal heart”, “Pandemic”
(the song that links the past to the present) and “Balls to the wall”. You
don’t know really what you like most: Wolf /Peter guitars/ bass solos or duels,
Wolf’s mimic handling the guitar, Peter not letting anyone in the audience to
stay still for a second, thundering riffs that coming to you like a hurricane,
Stefan crushing drums all the way, Hermann keeping tight the rhythm under
control, or Mark getting along unbelievable well with all the songs from the
past and and present. After this performance all you can say is: how they can
do it ? the show is really over ? why the stage seems too small ? Or the stay
in the line to get another autograph from the heavy metal masters who became
humans again.

A
night always remembered with the hope of their coming back. They had to catch
up regarding Romania. And the whole world.

ACCEPT
is still the BEST Metal band in the WHOLE Universe! New, fresh, happy, enthusiastic,
crazy and most of all, extremely professional band! You gave the BEST and you
know how to ROCK the audience!! \m/

Wolf
was like a little crazy boy, crazy with his guitar trying to organize the crowd
like a bleacher's leader in a football (soccer) game/arena! ;)

I
remember him back in 1994 in "Death Row" Tour, OK, Greeks were more
"hooligans" those years and he was surprised from the fans, i was in
front of him at the age of 20 in a short stage without security holding his
left army-boot and in the beginning he was a little bit "inhibited"
but after a few seconds he got so excited from the vibration of the metal
atmosphere and was laughing all the time! :)

On
Friday it was the opposite:

He
was the "20 years old" Leader of the "Pack", together with
Peter they spread ACCEPT's Metalheart pulse/vibration to the audience!!
Peter was tremendous too.. Mark Tornillo:I always was a hardcore fan of Udo.
Last time i've seen ACCEPT it was with Udo in 2005 in RockWave Festival. Udo
was my God and ACCEPT my religion since 13 years old.

I
think the same feeling was for the most old Greek fans of the band.

After
"Blood of the Nations" and the sensational sold-out show of Athens on
February 2011, reading opinions (i wasn't there) from younger fans in the
internet, everybody was telling that Mark is his own man with a very big voice.
He's a really GREAT vocalist and frontman too, he fits so much to the band that
makes you forget there was a time where HE was not there.

Herman
and Stefan are GREAT musicians too, very famous and familiar to the fans and to
all metalheads of the world, they're doing great job! Overall, ACCEPT remains
the BEST Metal band in the World. Teutonic Terrorists invaded Greece and took
our brains and hearts as we say here in Greece.

6
out of 5 STARS for ACCEPT!!

As
for the fans in Thessaloniki:

I'm
always stringent/strict in matters with Metal shows and i was expecting more
from my homemates, i'd like to be more Restless and Wild like old days but it's
OK, it is 2012, not '90s or '80s, people changed a lot, music changed, Greece
is a bankrupt country, unemployment is more than 30%, national psychology and
mood is down.., although under these situations, Northern Greek fans honoured
ACCEPT with their presence and they were quite good!

I
give'em 4 out of 5 stars.

This
is all i had to say about the show and for me it was a MAGIC night, best moment
of my life since 2005, you're still AWESOME and i'm still in love with you
guys! :)

I
wanna thank ACCEPT again for everything and wish them all the best for the rest
of European Tour!! :)

There are certain things in life that cannot be changed.
Call it fate, call it destiny, call it karma...you can call it whatever you
want. Here in Greece, we call it ACCEPT! You see, one has to live in Greece to
understand the difficult times that this proud nation is having and how painful
it is for the vast majority of the population that is trying to make ends meet.
So, when ACCEPT announced the two shows in Athens and Thessaloniki, I had
absolutely no doubt that the Greek fans would found a way to purchase a ticket
and get lost in the magical world of ACCEPT and quite possibly forget their
worries and troubles just for a while. When I arrived at the club, I knew that
my initial gut feeling was right. Hundreds of people were waiting impatiently
outside the venue in order to find their way onto the club. More than 1000
people packed the venue and the vibe was similar to the monumental 2010 show
that the band had put on for us.

At exactly 10:00 the lights
went out and the first notes of "Hang Drawn and Quartered" rushed
from the speakers upon a frenzied crowd who welcomed ACCEPT like some short of
a rock n' roll saviors! Without any delay, the band continued with
"Hellfire" and the crowd was singing along to the new songs from the
excellent "Stalingrad" record like there were released decades ago.
It was plain clear that at least 4-5 songs from the last couple of records can
be easily considered classics!

Wolf Hoffmann was the
undeniable key figure; the leader, the mastermind behind the sonic attack! As I
told him before the show, I am amazed at how he remains so fit during those
tiring road tours. Right next to him, Peter Baltes was giving his own show
making all those orchestrated stage moves together with Wolf and Herman who was
steadily accurate as the rhythm guitarist. Stefan Schwarzmann was as thunderous
as ever behind his gigantic white drum set while the band's frontman Mark
Tornillo -now on his second world tour with the band- proved once again why he
is a catalytic element to ACCEPT's resurrection (both for his voice and his
stage presence).

Apart for the aforementioned
two new songs from "Stalingrad", the band chose to perform the title
track and "Shadow Soldiers" from the latest record while they pull
out 4 songs from the superb "Blood of the Nations" (Teutonic Terror",
"Pandemic", "No Shelter", "Bucket Full of Hate").
As for the rest of the gems from the vbacka catalogue, well how can anyone
complain when he is treated with such timeless hits as "Restless and
Wild", "Neon Nights", "Fast As A Shark", "Breaker",
"Balls To The Wall", "Up To The Limit", "Metal
Heart", "Monsterman", "Losers and Winners",
"Aiming High", "Bulletproof"?

All in all, it was a night to
remember and...don't forget! Remember that ACCEPT will always be a much beloved
band in Greece and definitely the ultimate heavy metal ambassadors from
Germany. Remember that this is a band that will never fail to deliver a great
show for us all. As for what we forgot that night...we forgot all our problems
for a couple of hours and took home some of the most precious memories that
will forever follow us! This is the power of heavy metal; this is the power of
ACCEPT! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, guys!

German metal veterans Accept just blew threw the Windy
City and as expected, they left a serious wreckage in their wake.

Accept are a
band that were sorely missed on the metal scene and as the saying goes
"don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone". But thankfully Wolf
Hoffmann and his cohorts decided to pick things up again in 2010 and
released undoubtedly the comeback album of the year, if not the decade,
"Blood Of The Nations". This year, they're back with the equally
powerful "Stalingrad". To see Accept in action, is to see what the
definition of true metal is. The band poured through a set that included such
classics as "Losers and Winners", "Restless and Wild",
"Fast as a SharK" and of course arguably their trademark track "Balls
to the Wall" but their newer tracks stood out just as much. Songs like
"Hellfire" and "The Galley" from "Stalingrad" as
well as "Pandemic" and "Teutonic Terror" from "Blood
of the Nations", indeed show that the band have not lost one step through
their brief hiatus, much less over the last thirty plus years. It's amazing
that a band can still write, perform and maintain the same level of quality and
consistency as they did decades ago.

One
perfect example of Accept's professionalism came when, about an hour into their
set during "Up to the Limit", the stage lights lost power and went
completely black. Mind you, most bands would have stopped the show until it was
figured out what had happened. Accept did not miss one note, did not stop the
show for one second. Guitarist Hoffmann and vocalist Mark Tornillo did indeed
look at each other with puzzled faces but still remained in stride continuing
on with the title track from 1985's "Metal Heart". Stage lighting was
finally restored for the encores of "Fast as a Shark" and "Balls
to the Wall" but honestly, band and fans alike hardly even noticed the
distraction of the lights coming back on. It was indeed full metal onward!

The
only bad part of seeing Accept live, is the long wait seeing them return!

Accept
are currently on the road in North America through mid October with fellow
German veterans Kreator, in a skull crushing coheadlining package that also
includes Finnish doom metallers Swallow The Sun.

Having
been a HUGE metal fan, and Accept fan for many years, this being my first time
seeing the German Metal legends LIVE filled me with a lot of anticipation and
excitement. I arrived at the venue early enough to meet up with the Accept Fans
Worldwide group outside of Rolling Thunder, an RV owned by Stephan Soto, the
group founder. Peter, Wolf, Stefan, Wolf and Herman all stopped by to visit the
fans, and say hi. This pleased all of the members who were there!

We
headed inside prior to Accept taking the stage, and host of That Metal Show,
Eddie Trunk warmed up the crowd! Accept hit the stage right at 10:30pm and from
the beginning notes of Hung Drawn and Quartered from their latest release,
Stalingrad…through their closing encore song…Balls to the Wall from their fifth
studio album of the same name…Accept had this large New Jersey crowd in the
palm of their hands. This was a headlining show where the band had the
opportunity to perform a full TWO HOUR set packed with 20 songs from their
lengthy career!

This
was a high energy show with these rockers who have been together fo decades,
performing as if they were still in their teens…full of energy, excitement, and
happiness! They followed up Hung Drawn and Quartered with Hellfire, my personal
favorite from Stalingrad…and went into Restless and Wild from the album of the
same title, the 4th in their recording career. This 20 song concert with songs
spanning their lengthy career disappointed no one. This was a crowd filled with
fans old and new, and many of whom were there to see the return of Mark
Tornillo, former T.T. Quick vocalist.

You
could not escape the infectious jubilation that the band had with each other
performing on stage, and looking around the crowd, you saw the same. Accept has
a way of engaging with their fans in the crowd, that makes you feel like they
are performing those songs for YOU, as an individual.

Around
1230am, the band finished their performance with an awesome version of Balls to
the Wall, the lights came up, and all in attendance were in agreement that this
was one amazing night.

Having
been my first Accept concert, I certainly was blown away by their energy,
diversity in their set list that spanned their career, the amazing light show
and sound, and engagement with the crowd. I have Accepted the fact, that this
will not be my last Accept show.

Having been a HUGE metal fan, and Accept fan
for many years, this being my first time seeing the German Metal legends LIVE
filled me with a lot of anticipation and excitement. I arrived at the venue
early enough to meet up with the Accept Fans Worldwide group outside of Rolling
Thunder, an RV owned by Stephan Soto, the group founder. Peter, Wolf, Stefan,
Wolf and Herman all stopped by to visit the fans, and say hi. This pleased
all of the members who were there!

We headed
inside prior to Accept taking the stage, and host of That Metal Show, Eddie
Trunk warmed up the crowd! Accept hit the stage right at 10:30pm and from the
beginning notes of Hung Drawn and Quartered from their latest release,
Stalingrad…through their closing encore song…Balls to the Wall from their fifth
studio album of the same name…Accept had this large New Jersey crowd in the
palm of their hands. This was a headlining show where te band had the
opportunity to perform a full TWO HOUR set packed with 20 songs from their
lengthy career!

This was a
high energy show with these rockers who have been together fo decades,
performing as if they were still in their teens…full of energy, excitement, and
happiness! They followed up Hung Drawn and Quartered with Hellfire, my personal
favorite from Stalingrad…and went into Restless and Wild from the album of the
same title, the 4th in their recording career. This 20 song concert with songs
spanning their lengthy career disappointed no one. This was a crowd filled with
fans old and new, and many of whom were there to see the return of Mark
Tornillo, former T.T. Quick vocalist.

You could
not escape the infectious jubilation that the band had with each other
performing on stage, and looking around the crowd, you saw the same. Accept has
a way of engaging with their fans in the crowd, that makes you feel like they
are performing those songs for YOU, as an individual.

Around
1230am, the band finished their performance with an awesome version of Balls to
the Wall, the lights came up, and all in attendance were in agreement that this
was one amazing night.

Having been
my first Accept concert, I certainly was blown away by their energy, diversity
in their set list that spanned their career, the amazing light show and sound,
and engagement with the crowd.

Accept hit the stage and blasted into “Hung, Drawn and
Quartered” off their 2012 release Stalingrad. Immediately it was obvious this
was going to be a special night. There are a couple of aspects of an Accept
live show that make it an experience to not be forgotten. First you have the
music; straight up Heavy Metal – the new music is as good as the classics –
every tune rocks!! Second you have the stage presence – not many can hold a
candle to Accept. From Wolf Hoffman’s, Peter Baltes and Herman Franks’s constant
smiles, frequent in-unison head-banging and in-sync guitar/bass motions to Mark
Tornillo’s electrifying vocal delivery there isn’t a dull moment during their
performance.

The band played a perfect mix of classic Accept songs
along with soon to be classics from their 2010 comeback album Blood of the
Nations and four songs from their 2012 release Stalingrad. It’s hard to believe
that Accept has been around since the early 80’s by watching their performance
– the energy delivered in their current show rivals that of their younger days.
Proof is in guitarists Wolf Hoffman’s guitar solos and the fact that this guy
cannot stand still for more than 5 seconds . . . He is without a doubt the king
of silly guitar faces.

Longtime fans seem to have welcomed vocalist Mark
Tornillo (replacing original vocalist Udo Dirkschneider) with open arms based
on the crowd reaction to songs new and old throughout the night. Highlights
included “Stalingrad”, “Teutonic Terror”, “Fast as a Shark” and the last song
of the night, a fantastic version of their biggest hit “Balls to the Wall”.
Accept delivered an epic night of Heavy Metal to the lucky fans in attendance .
. . 80 minutes of music to warm your Metal Heart!!

I admit it. ACCEPT was a band that for one
reason or another I ignored during the metal heyday of the 80's, and continued
to dismiss over the next 25+ years. Sure, I enjoyed "Balls to the
Wall" when it was inevitably played over the PA system prior to every rock
concert in the 80s, but I never owned a single album. Then, in 2010, with new
vocalist Mark Tornillo at the mic and on the pen, the band released a
shockingly stellar metal assault called "Blood of the Nations". It
was not only a comeback album of epic proportions, but arguably the best metal
album of the year. In 2012, they equaled the previous effort with the
remarkable "Stalingrad" release. Both albums deliver song after song
that drive hard with a rare combination of intensity, aggression, top-shelf
musicianship, killer guitar tone, massive melody, and perfectly matched lyrics
& vocals.

On Sept 25, ACCEPT rolled into San Francisco's
Regency Ballroom amidst their extensive North American Teutonic Terror Attack
2012 tour (co-headlining with Kreator). I anticipated that it was going to be a
great show featuring a setlist showcasing a majority of the new songs (how many
times has anyone said that?)​, but I was unprepared for just how compelling the
performance would be. Accept were stunning. The songs surpassed the studio
versions in intensity, Tornillo is a beast on the mic, and the musicians
delivered with supreme showmanship, crowd interaction, and sonic precision.
Each member, despite their exhaustive touring schedule over the past several
years, were clearly enjoying themselves on stage (or doing a damn fine job of
faking it).

I took BART into the city so I wouldn't have to
deal with the hassles of traffic. Went to the venue and found Wolf
signing autographs and Stephen carrying on a never-ending conversation with
some crazy woman (though I don't know which one of them is crazier). I couldn't
even introduce myself they kept going back and forth. Then Mark came out of the
bus and I asked him if he recognized me and he did. He signed stuff for some
fans and we chatted. He had to go so I headed to Tommy's Joynt for the best
turkey sandwich ever.

After that I hung out in the merchandise area. I
went down front and stayed there for the first half. Every song was spot-on.
Super tight showmanship and because of the limited time, Mark did not really
talk between songs. This means it was one lashing after another until they had
the audience bleeding. I love these kinds of shows! I will add Shadow Soldiers
started with a different vibe and I wasn't sure about it being in this set
until they sang the choruses- they were so strong! One of the highlights
indeed. In fact, the new songs were really the highlights. It was also great
that BttW was stripped down to it's core (finally!).

So as mentioned, I was standing next to Frank
at the soundboard for the second half and during BttW, Frank waves his hand
high in the air as a challenge to Peter. Next thing something hits me on
the chest and on the ground is Peter's pick! A 30 yard shot all the way to the
back of the hall!

So I said hi to Frank and said I would see him
out back. I hung around with the simple intention of saying hello to
everyone and not even bothering with autographs. Then Frank opens the bus door
and calls me over to invite me aboard! I step in and Peter's waiting for me. I
took a seat on the couch and we talked about San Francisco (I went to culinary
school a block away), politics, the state of the music industry as well as the
state of our youth. Wolf popped in and it finally clicked who I was once I
asked about the thank you posters we made last year. His is hanging in his
studio. Mark then came in and joined the conversation. Then Morgan and her
husband came in to do an interview consisting of fan submitted questions. She
had some good ones until she dared ask "The Question!" I warned
"Don't go there" just as Peter and Wolf refused to answer. After she
was done I added a couple of my own- ones that I keep meaning to ask:

To Peter, do you still go to concerts anymore? Short
answer is no and we all discussed why. They both put it that as professional
musicians, they get bored very quickly watching other bands. Wolf said he can
mabye watch 2 songs at a festival and then feels the need to move on. I guess
watching your contempories just is not the same as the fan-musician
relationship.

So after an hour and a half we called it a
night. I will say that Accept and crew are still very appreciative of
all their fans. We are all fortunate for having each other. They are very hard
working men. I did not put this together until I realized, when they are not
doing Accept, which in the last 3 years was nearly impossible, they are
very busy doing all kinds of things! As
for me, I would like to express my deepest thanks for their hospitality. Your
music has been the soundtrack of my life for 28 years and it makes me very
happy to call you friends.

Metal through and through is
what you can expect from the one and only ACCEPT. Oh was I thrilled to see
these guys for the first time. The floor was crammed with people, you couldn’t
move, people pushing and shoving to get right up front for full access.

And their set was absolute
perfection, so mind blowing. Songs that you could sing along with (always an
added bonus). The energy, was unbelievable, never slowing down for a second,
which also kept the crowd just pumped. With all those bodies on the floor it
was one intense hot show, but no one complained, we were all there to observe
one of the greatest bands perform. I am still in awe as I write this. And
believe it or not, I was still able to stand up front at the bar, holding on
for dear life mind you, but not willing to give my spot to anyone. They played
a variety of songs, from old to new, and Mark Tornillo on vocals did an unparalleled
job.

Wolf Hoffman, had everyone’s
attention, his playing ability, his movements on stage, whether by himself, or
with the other members, was phenomenal. But in all fairness, each and every
member on stage, were exceptional, and very camera friendly. When they played
the renowned song “Balls to the Wall” there was not a single person who was not
singing along, we all knew the words, and the crowd went crazy for this song.
ACCEPT has left a lasting impression on me. An amazing group of guys who obviously
love what they do, and it shows when they are playing to a crowd. If you missed
seeing these guys, you missed out on the best performance to date in Vancouver.
Don’t make that mistake again, next time they come to town, be there, support
ACCEPT, I know that’s where I am going to be. Hope they return soon. There
truly are no words to really tell you how fantastic this set was. I didn’t do
them justice at all, but damn, they kicked some major ass in Vancouver on
Friday night.

ACCEPT stormed the Newport
Music Hall stage in Columbus for their only Ohio 2012 tour appearance with
"Hung, Drawn and Quartered", the opening track from their latest
"Stalingrad" album. The band received a hero's welcome from the fans,
many of whom traveled hundreds of miles to see the German metal legends
(including dozens from this writer's hometown of Cleveland - a longtime ACCEPT
stronghold). There was no need for flashy pyrotechnics or onstage gimmickry.
Vocalist Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK), who replaced the iconic Udo
Dirkschneider, kept his between song banter to a minimum and owned the stage
with confidence the entire evening like he had been fronting the band since its
inception. ACCEPT's 75-minute, 15 song set was evenly balanced between old
and new material. It was much easier to balance the set on this tour with
two Tornillo albums now under their belt. "Losers And Winners", from
the the best selling and most popular "Balls To The Wall" album, was
a pleasant surprise. The rest was the standard fare of classics,
including the extended sing-a-long favorite "Princess Of The Dawn"
(those 'whoa' parts still get me singing every time!). Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann
was the undisputed star of the evening, entertaining the crowd with both his playing
and commanding stage presence.

When he ordered the crowd to
clap - they clapped! When he ordered the crowd to sing - they sang!
When he ordered them to stop - they stopped! Hoffmann is one of heavy metal's
most underrated guitar players. His classically influenced leads, precise
rhythms and on cue low range backing vocals are always a highlight of any
live ACCEPT show. Even after all this time he still looks like he is
having as much fun onstage as when he first formed the band some 30+ years ago.
Judging from the crowd response, "Shadow Soliders" should be a set
staple for years to come. The song is Hoffmann's personal favorite
from the latest "Stalingrad" album and has the sound and feel of
pre-"Restless And Wild"-era ACCEPT. It's slower tempo provides a nice
contrast and mixes in well with the heavier numbers. With the set
loaded with a healthy selection of some of the greatest songs written of
all-time from the Udo years, it's ironic pre-encore set closer "Teutonic
Terror" from the band's more recent "Blood Of The Nations" album
generates the biggest and loudest fan response of the evening. It's a
true testament to ACCEPT's current songwriting abilities and fan's acceptance
(no pun intended) of vocalist Mark Tornillo to create a song that already ranks
with the best of anything from their past catalog. The band hasn't missed a
beat in recent years and tonight's show more than sends this message home loud
and clear. Encores "Fast As A Shark" and "Balls To The
Wall" leave the crowd in a frenzy, closing out a near perfect evening,
sans a sorely missing Hoffmann guitar solo and a rarity or two for the diehards
from the band's extensive back catalog. ACCEPT are a tough act to follow. ...

Accept took the stage at the Howard Theatre in
Washington, DC., a venue that normally caters to R&B and Jazz artists.
Well, Accept blew the roof off the place; but that's just a normal thing at an
Accept concert. Energy. Precision. Fan participation. Beyond the actual
songs...they always add these extra elements when they perform live.

There is no such thing as a bad Accept show.
Because they put 150% into their live performances and although their albums
are top of the line, I'll take seeing them live over listening to a CD anyday.
Why? It is because they possess this magical presence onstage...like no other
band I have ever seen in my life. It is just their stage presence, the way they
interract together, the perfection of every note they play, and the extra solos
they throw in, and most of all their interest in the fans watching them.

There is the constant audience participation.
Accept constantly pays attention to the audience members who are close, shaking
hands, taking a second to pose for photos and they just seem to thrive off of
the energy of their adoring fans. They always egg them on to participate in
their trademark 'chants'; getting them to sing along, making them feel like
part of the show. And you always do when you go see Accept.

Accept albums are great, but there is nothing
like the live Accept experience. I know, because I have been going to their
shows for near to 30 years now.